Show life to pasture life

[jaydill]

I plan to move a heifer and her calf to pasture after the heifer's second year of showing (as a cow/calf pair). Is it bad to transition her to straight pasture/hay with minerals, etc out for her? Or should a small amount of feed be provided for her?

 

[Beefy]

sounds like a good way to pis off a cow.

 

[msscamp]

I plan to move a heifer and her calf to pasture after the heifer's second year of showing (as a cow/calf pair). Is it bad to transition her to straight pasture/hay with minerals, etc out for her? Or should a small amount of feed be provided for her?

That depends on how much grain she is getting. I don't know exactly where the line is crossed, but abruptly pulling an animal off all grain has the potential of causing acidosis. I would also think that an abrupt change in diet would stress her and possibly cause a reduction of milk supply, but I don't know that for a fact.

 

[jaydill]

I don't mean to do it abruptly. I'm thinking a slow transition? Like...slowly reducing her grain until she gets just pasture/ a good quality hay? Or...should I just continue to feed her grain, just less than what I'd be pushin to her during show season?

 

[Beefy]

i would give her some feed and then turn her out and say "go be a real cow, now." thats what i tell the elderly cows that i fed some over the winter. when ever they see me they go Moo and i'm all like, "you go away. you go be a real cow now"

 

[msscamp]

One day my cow was eating grain the next day she wasnt. Like I said I watched her reaaaaaaaaaal close for about a week. Then once I saw she was adjusted I left her be to do her own thing. She handled it pretty well.

Just because you got lucky doesn't mean Jaydill will. :roll: There has been nothing stated about the amount of grain that you were feeding as opposed to the amount he is feeding. To simply state what you stated without knowing how much is being fed and how often is, in my opinion, very misleading and has the potential to cause serious problems. Just my thoughts.

 

[msscamp]

I don't mean to do it abruptly. I'm thinking a slow transition? Like...slowly reducing her grain until she gets just pasture/ a good quality hay? Or...should I just continue to feed her grain, just less than what I'd be pushin to her during show season?

I would gradually reduce her grain until she is just on pasture. I'm not a big believer in supplementing cattle when there is good grass available - if they can't maintain they don't stay. I realize this is a somewhat different scenario and there will be an adjustment period for this heifer (and no, I don't know what a reasonable adjustment period would be - we don't raise show animals), but after that adjustment period is done, she is no longer a show heifer - she is a producer subject to the same rules and expectations as the rest of the producing herd.

 

[Beefy]

i liken this situation to giving a fat girl celery and carrot sticks.

 

[msscamp]

Im not always real good at phrasin things. I do think though that as long as he keeps a real sharp eye out on her she should be aight.

Not a problem. We made the mistake of jerking an animal off grain and treating acidosis is not something I would wish on anyone. It can get very ugly for a very long time! Thank you, TTCLM, I was not trying to come down on you. If it appeared that way, I'm sorry.

 

[jaydill]

Thank you all for the information...and the laugh, Beefy. I think a very slow transition is in order.. as most have suggested and as is what seems most logical. Just to clarify for you, TTCLM, the heifer will be about two and a half when I take her out to the pasture.

 

[jaydill]

OH. Just so those of you who might be a little confuzzled know...this jaydill person you keep talking about happens to be a female. ;-) :lol:

 

[aplusmnt]

One day my cow was eating grain the next day she wasnt. Like I said I watched her reaaaaaaaaaal close for about a week. Then once I saw she was adjusted I left her be to do her own thing. She handled it pretty well.

Just because you got lucky doesn't mean Jaydill will. :roll: There has been nothing stated about the amount of grain that you were feeding as opposed to the amount he is feeding. To simply state what you stated without knowing how much is being fed and how often is, in my opinion, very misleading and has the potential to cause serious problems. Just my thoughts.

I agree with Msscamp here. Now days we push these heifers pretty hard, I have a couple heifer that weigh a little over 800 pounds and are eating 25-30 pounds of feed a day plus hay. I would not shock their system. Just slowly cut the feed down over a week or two and make sure they have free choice hay. And then move them into being a regular cow. And be prepared to see some sad eyes when you do not bring them any feed.

We have a heifer that we turned out a couple months ago and she will still come up and sit by the fence were the show heifers are now and just lay their big parts of the day. She wants back in with them and some of that good feed.

 

[BC]

You should be able to transition this pair in a 2 to 3 week period. Cut the heifer back to 3/4 of her feed the first week, 1/2 the amount for about a week to 10 days and then 1/4 of the amount for another week to 10 days. Watch her body condition so that she does not loose to much weight too quickly. Remember, she has been sitting at a Sunday dinner table for most of her life. She is also nursing a calf and still trying to grow.

 

[msscamp]

OH. Just so those of you who might be a little confuzzled know...this jaydill person you keep talking about happens to be a female. ;-) :lol:

 

[warpaint]

OH. Just so those of you who might be a little confuzzled know...this jaydill person you keep talking about happens to be a female. ;-) :lol:

Guilty also.

I think you've got the right idea, a slow transition would be the way I'd go.

 

[AAOK]

Thank you all for the information...and the laugh, Beefy. I think a very slow transition is in order.. as most have suggested and as is what seems most logical. Just to clarify for you, TTCLM, the heifer will be about two and a half when I take her out to the pasture.

You have the right idea here. All of our cows are retired show heifers. We have never had a problem, but have always weaned them off the grain slowly. I never have enough pasture to keep my cows fat, so I supplement some grain year round; about 2lbs/day during the grassy time of year, and 5lbs/day in the winter. We sell all calves for show heifers or breeding bulls. Buyers like to see fat, cows. ;-)

 

[jaydill]

We sure do like to see em fat. ;-) I hope to be able to go back to feeding a little grain year round once I've got a steady income but being a college student, I'll only be able to afford some good quality hay for a while. Oh and it's fine on the gender mix-up...it's not the first time it's happened. :lol: Just so people know, "jaydill" is not my name. Rather a nickname composed of multiple parts of my full name.

 

[msscamp]

Oh and it's fine on the gender mix-up...it's not the first time it's happened. :lol:

Thanks jaydill, I appreciate your understanding. I promise it was not intentional.

 

[aplusmnt]

We sure do like to see em fat. ;-) I hope to be able to go back to feeding a little grain year round once I've got a steady income but being a college student, I'll only be able to afford some good quality hay for a while. Oh and it's fine on the gender mix-up...it's not the first time it's happened. :lol: Just so people know, "jaydill" is not my name. Rather a nickname composed of multiple parts of my full name.

Curious what are you going to school to be?

 

[jaydill]

We sure do like to see em fat. ;-) I hope to be able to go back to feeding a little grain year round once I've got a steady income but being a college student, I'll only be able to afford some good quality hay for a while. Oh and it's fine on the gender mix-up...it's not the first time it's happened. :lol: Just so people know, "jaydill" is not my name. Rather a nickname composed of multiple parts of my full name.

Curious what are you going to school to be?

A Veterinary Reproductive Physiologist...hopefully to get into the genetics field.